ABILITIES Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

abilities

noun

plural of ability

as in capabilities

the physical or mental power to do something as a result of the accident the once-vigorous athlete lost the ability to walk

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of abilities While some via ferratas cater to expert rock climbers looking for tough challenges, Tahoe’s encourages visitors of all ages and fitness levels to try it out and test their abilities. — Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2026 Since the beginning of the year, Google has directed more researchers’ time and computing resources toward improving Gemini’s coding abilities, The Wall Street Journal reported. — Wen Shao, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026 Netizens were quick to joke about out the unusual outage affecting almost every major AI chatbot service, describing a momentary glimpse of lucidity for a society obsessed with a tech that’s deteriorating our cognitive abilities. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 3 Sep. 2026 Mamdani announced the policy on Wednesday with New York City Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels, saying it’s designed to protect students’ critical thinking abilities as well as the relationships between students and teachers. — Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026 As first mapped out by producer Chris DeFaria, who was coming off of the Tom & Jerry movie, the process was as defined by the abilities of evolving technologies as by the determination to honor the traditional Looney Tunes look. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026 Medium Patricia Arquette starred in Medium as a mom who used her psychic abilities to solve mysteries as a consultant for a local district attorney’s office in Arizona. — Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 30 Aug. 2026 Breen also emphasized that Heath, the film’s protagonist, is different from his other heroes, who tend to have superhuman abilities. — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026 The answer is, mostly, none of them, irrespective of their acting abilities. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abilities

Noun

The tests included transporting packages, medical supplies, food, water, and industrial equipment, providing a practical demonstration of the aircraft’s autonomous cargo capabilities.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026
The system administrator should have different capabilities than a patrol officer.

— Irene Wright, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of capabilities

Noun

So, this idea of gating the entire footprint of Hart Plaza and ending coolers is a way of creating safety and security and monitoring capacities and everything.

— Duante Beddingfield, Freep.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Anything that soothes that, or gives them more-than-human capacities—that’s just unhelpful to them.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of capacities

Noun

That kind of collective learning is especially important in the era of AI as distinctly human skills like attention span, curiosity, judgment, empathy and collaboration become more valuable, Kavanagh and Danielson argued.

— Jason Ma, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
That means redesigning processes and workflows alongside the technology, investing in new skills and creating a culture where employees understand how AI can augment their work rather than simply automate it.

— Jill Standish, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of skills

Noun

Solano-De Carrier noted that part of the American dream for Latinos is the ability to envision themselves as scholars, generational talents, or even power players in the economy.

— Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Supporters are keen to see academy talents given a chance, but teams around them invested heavily.

— Megan Feringa, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of talents

Noun

Rather than focusing on the mom's faculties, the advisor asked how each family member viewed success across different time horizons.

— Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026
British universities have been working to hire more academics from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds so that their faculties better reflect the broader society.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of faculties

Noun

For this class, the premise is that your purpose in life lies to the intersection of your values, your aptitudes and your interests.

— Dana Taylor, USA Today, 6 May 2026
This model reflects Japan’s long-standing corporate culture, which prioritizes new hires for their general potential—their aptitudes and aspirations, as opposed to their current skill sets or university majors—and then trains them on the job.

— GRACIA LIU-FARRER, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2025

Definition of aptitudes

Noun

Gemma and Richard are composites drawn from our several decades of advising organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to smaller nonprofits on designing interview processes that assess leadership and interpersonal competencies.

— Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review, 24 Aug. 2026
Experts advocate for a radical redesign, urging boards to prioritize genuine governance competencies and continuous impact measurement, moving away from outdated models that hinder vital community services.

— Aparna Rae, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of competencies

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abilities

ability

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“Abilities.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abilities. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of abilities

noun

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